Chaos

What exactly had Karen meant by that?

Twilight pondered as he walked, Karen's words still circling in his mind.

Anya suddenly tugged at Twilight's jacket and tilted her little face up. "Anya wants to pick her nose. It's itchy."

Twilight looked down at his daughter and said firmly, "Absolutely not!"

His gaze swept over the buildings lining the street. There were more eyes watching them here than outside. It seemed they had passed the first round of screening.

The family of three continued onward. Suddenly, a chubby boy rushed out from a corner, slipped, and fell into a filthy drainage ditch with a splash.

Murky ripples spread through the sewage in the ditch, which gave off a pungent stench.

"Aaah! Oh no! I accidentally fell into the ditch, and I can't get out!" The boy waved his arms, his face full of distress. He was too fat to climb out of the narrow ditch, no matter how hard he struggled.

"What do I do? I'm really in trouble now!" the boy cried, his voice thick with tears.

Seeing this, the other families nearby quickened their pace and moved away.

They all knew that if they reached out to help, the splashing sewage would inevitably dirty their clothes.

With the interview just ahead, dirty clothes would ruin the image they had so carefully prepared.

Twilight recognized it as a test at a glance. It was far too obvious.

The deliberate setup around the ditch and the boy's exaggerated cries for help all pointed to a trial arranged by the school.

Just then, Karen's words resurfaced clearly in his mind.

["Learn to accept other people's kindness. This world is a beautiful place."]

Karen's words had already given him the answer. The correct response to this test had to be rescuing the little boy.

In that case, we have to pass this part of the test! Twilight bent down slightly and gave Anya a gentle nudge.

Anya, who had been secretly keeping an ear on her father's thoughts, understood at once. She pointed at the chubby boy in the water and said brightly, "Papa, Mama, someone's in trouble. Let's help him!"

The family of three approached, and Twilight asked with concern, "Are you all right?"

Seeing someone take the lead, the others who had been watching began to move as well. One family approached and said, "We'll help too."

As more people gathered around him, the chubby boy began frantically slapping the water in hopes of earning a higher score.

Sewage splashed everywhere.

Gasps rose from the crowd. Afraid of getting their clothes dirty, everyone scattered again in an instant, leaving only the Forger family where they stood.

Upstairs, Henry watched the entire scene, a knowing smile curling his lips.

[Heh, heh, heh, heh. That's right. With the interview coming up, how could you let foul sewer water ruin your carefully prepared clothes? Forger, how will you solve this problem elegantly?]

What happened next made Henry's eyes go wide.

Without taking any precautions, Twilight simply bent down and pulled the chubby boy out of the water with both hands.

Sewage splashed mercilessly across his face and clothes.

"Are you all right?" Twilight's voice was steady, his eyes full of concern.

Anya came over with little steps, took a handkerchief from her bag, and offered it to him. "Here's a handkerchief."

Twilight removed his hat, a gentle smile on his face. "Please visit the infirmary, just to be safe."

The chubby boy bit his lip, filled with guilt.

He knew perfectly well that Mr. Henry must have seen his inelegant behavior just now.

This kind family was going to fail the test because of him!

Henry frowned deeply and snorted. "Hmph. What a disappointment. He's just an ordinary country bumpkin. Don't think you can set foot on our campus covered in mud."

He was about to turn and order someone to escort the Forger family out when, to his astonishment, he discovered that they had already changed into clean clothes.

Twilight neatly adjusted his collar and said calmly, "Good thing we brought a change of clothes in case something like this happened."

Henry stared in astonishment. Such thorough foresight, such noble character. What ordinary person would think to prepare a change of clothes in advance?

"Gray really does suit this school better." Twilight looked gently at the chubby boy. "That last suit nearly embarrassed me by making me look like a country bumpkin. Thank you for giving me the chance to change."

Clatter! The cane in Henry's hand fell to the floor.

"Brilliant! Elegant and refined!" Henry was stunned by the Forger family's words and actions. They had not merely rescued a boy in trouble; they had used wit and grace to defuse the awkwardness, giving him every opportunity to save face.

"That infuriating, exasperating Loid Forger!"

Seeing that Housemaster Henry had eyes only for Forger, the teacher behind him could not help reminding him, "Housemaster, isn't this supposed to be a test for the children...?"

"Quiet!" Henry shouted like a sulking child. "Loid Forger, grrr... I'll tear off that mask of yours!"

"Only elegant people can raise elegant children!"

"If a child scores thirty points, the parents ought to score thirty points too!"

As Henry continued observing the Forger family, a piercing noise suddenly rang out in the distance.

Clang, clang, clang!

"Emergency! The zoo animals have broken out of their enclosures!" A shrill cry cut through the air.

Herds of animals came charging toward the crowd like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

Although these herbivores were not on Eden Academy's list of dangerous animals forbidden on campus, the massive cattle and horses, as well as the swift-running ostriches, all posed a serious threat. The consequences of being struck by them were unthinkable.

Twilight's pupils contracted sharply. Watching the herd charge straight at them, his face turned deathly pale.

He could not understand what had caused the exam to spiral so wildly out of control.

This had gone far beyond the bounds of a normal exam!

Without a moment's hesitation, he swiftly scooped Anya securely into his arms and called out to Yor. The three of them hurried toward safety.

"Don't panic. Show compassion toward the animals."

Twilight had worked it out as well. This was probably the examiners testing everyone's instinctive response to an unexpected situation. If they panicked, they would be playing right into the examiners' hands.

But he never imagined that the examiners were even more panicked than he was.

They had never planned anything like this in their meetings!

Henry turned anxiously toward the other teachers behind him, his voice betraying his alarm. "Hey, who said we should take it this far?"

"If any parents or children get hurt, that would be terribly inelegant."

At his words, the teacher behind him went pale and said in a trembling voice, "Wasn't it you, Headmaster...?"

Henry felt a chill down his back, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Only then did he realize that the chaos before him was not part of the exam, but a genuine accident!